


Reason to Stay

by nlieco (madin456)



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Stars, nico makes a good decision for once in his life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-25 18:27:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20728775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madin456/pseuds/nlieco
Summary: Under the watchful gaze of stars, Nico makes the decision to stay.





	Reason to Stay

On the rooftop, two silhouettes sit side-by-side under a darkened sky.

The night is quiet for the most part, with the occasional whispered conversations as if they’re speaking in secrets that can only be shared with the stars. Nico leans back on his hands, a warm breeze blowing by, and thinks about previous nights when he had come up here to get away from everything.

This is the first time that he’s not alone.

It’s calming, but there’s a tension in the air that comes with knowing that the moment is finite. He can feel it in the way Leo keeps a controlled neutral expression on his face and very carefully doesn’t glance in his direction when they speak. The way his chest hurts knowing that no one expects him to stay—not after they’ve seen him come and go so often. Not anymore.

And he isn’t surprised, really, when the question eventually comes up: “How long until you leave?”

Leo tries to be nonchalant about the it, but everyone knows by now that Nico’s visits always come with an expiry date. He sees the sadness in Leo’s eyes, hears the heartbreak in his voice, feels something inside himself close to shattering. In that moment, he wants nothing more than to chase away his fears. When he answers, it’s uncharacteristically impulsive, like a firecracker bursting open to capture the attention of people passing by.

Strangely, though, he finds that he doesn’t regret the words once they’ve been spoken.

“I’m not leaving.”

The world seems to still around them and there’s a pause as Leo finally turns to look at him, entire face lighting up. His jaw drops in disbelief. “—Really?”

Nico nods. Saying it aloud comes a lot easier than he had expected it to. He’s so used to carrying his feelings in a glass jar strung around his heart that sometimes, just giving voice to his true desires causes his chest to ache. But there’s something about being under the watchful gaze of the stars and sharing this space on a rooftop with Leo that makes him feel safe. Feel heard.

“What made you change your mind?” Leo’s grin is so wide that it stretches across from one ear to the other. He’s a child of Hephaestus turned to flame, a candle burning in the night that runs on the fuel of silver moondust.

_You,_ Nico doesn’t say. Instead, he leans closer and hesitantly rests his head on Leo’s shoulder, unable to prevent the heat from rushing to his cheeks. “Guess I found a reason to stay.”

Love is a choice, he’s come to learn. And it’s taken him years, but this is the first time he’s actively pursuing it.

Leo’s hand squeezes his and says without saying: _it’ll be worth it._

.

Morning arrives along with daybreak and Nico wakes to the feeling of a kiss pressed against his forehead. He lets out a sigh of contentment and wonders, discretely, if he’s allowed to be this happy just from simply waking up feeling—loved.

For someone who has never been in a relationship before, never had a _boyfriend_, he’s adjusted surprisingly fast. Now, he can’t even imagine not having Leo by his side, a hand to hold if he just reaches out. He doesn’t think he could ever go back to a time before he loved Leo.

A nudge on his arm has him groaning. Leo continues to poke at him, too awake for the early hours of dawn. “We should get up.”

_“No.” _Nico tightens his grip around Leo’s waist, where his arm had ended up slung over Leo’s body at some point during the night. It’s the first time that he doesn’t have to worry about leaving before other people wake up, leaving to avoid the guilt that would consume him if he sees the solemn and defeated expressions on their faces, so he wants to make the most of it with as much sleep as he can possibly get.

He hears Leo let out a laugh at his definitive response but eventually settles back down to get comfortable. Nico peeks an eye open and smirks in triumph at his small victory.

“I guess we can stay in bed a little longer,” Leo relents, eyelids already fluttering close again under the warmth of the blanket.

Nico reaches out a hand to brush away the stray pieces of hair framing Leo’s face before adjusting his own position so that his head is tucked into Leo’s chest.

“I’m glad that you could see things my way, Valdez.”


End file.
